Gamboa said: “Our coach, Oscar Ramirez, was in that team. He remembered that game because then Scotland was one of the best teams in Europe and nobody thought Costa Rica had a chance and we beat you to finish second and reach the last 16.

“I was just one when those finals were played but the people in Costa Rica always remember the team. That was our first time we’d reached the finals.

“I’ve been in Scotland almost two years and, as a country, you really get to appreciate everything.

“Especially at a club like Celtic where everyone helps you. You feel welcome. My wife Melissa and I love it here. Especially the countryside.

“One of my kids was born here, in Glasgow. So Julian is ‘Scottish Costa Rican’ and wherever I go, I’ll have this piece of Scotland in my heart.

Gamboa says Scotland have a good future with likes of McGregor and Armstrong

“We believed in ourselves but never said it loudly. We beat Uruguay in the first game.

“After Brazil 2014, everyone knew about Costa Rican football. The players got into good league like Spain, Italy, I got a move to England. And that helped us to put Costa Rica on the football map.

“So, Keylor Navas plays every week for Real Madrid in goal. Bryan Ruiz, our captain who scored against Italy, is at Sporting Lisbon, Celso Borges at Deportivo La Coruna and Giancarlo Gonzales in Serie A with Bologna.

“I don’t worry about who we play in Russia. I don’t think about facing Brazil or Switzerland. All we are thinking about is Serbia in the first match. All I’m thinking about is getting into the squad.”

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Gamboa earned a £2m move to West Brom from Rosenborg after the 2014 World Cup finals and 18 appearances in two seasons at the English club prompted Brendan Rodgers to recruit him as cover for Swede Mikael Lustig.

Gamboa added: “Even if Scott Brown has stopped, Scotland have a good future. Guys like Stuart Armstrong, Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Leigh Griffiths are good players.

“Scotland are doing much better now because they have a lot of new young players.”